Millie Radford and her husband Harley Passmore face significant challenges in their desire to solidify Harley's role as a legal parent to Millie's four-year-old daughter, Ophelia, as depicted in this week's episode of '22 Kids and Counting'. The couple, who wed last year, have been grappling with the stressful decision of whether Harley should adopt Ophelia, a child he has raised as his own since she was six months old, given the biological father's absence.

Harley's heartfelt wish is to formally adopt Ophelia, ensuring she shares the same surname and legal recognition as their biological children, Chester, three, and Elodie, one. He articulates his desire for people to perceive him and Ophelia as a father and daughter, emphasizing that he treats her no differently than his own. His concern is that as Ophelia grows older, she will question why her name differs from the rest of the family's.

However, Millie, 23, harbored significant reservations, primarily due to Ophelia's young age and the sensitive nature of revealing that Harley is not her biological father. She worried about the emotional toll it might take on Ophelia, potentially leading to future resentment towards Harley. A major concern for Millie was the possibility that contacting the biological father, a necessary step in the adoption process, could prompt him to desire involvement in Ophelia's life, which would be a considerable upheaval for the young girl.

The family's emotional strain escalated dramatically when Harley experienced a medical emergency, leading to his urgent transportation to the hospital by ambulance. A panicked Millie described Harley's face going lopsided and his speech slurring, fearing he was having a stroke. Her mother, Sue Radford, and father, Noel, stepped in to care for the children at their Morecambe home while Millie remained by Harley's side in the stroke ward. During this terrifying ordeal, Millie admitted feeling immense guilt, wondering if their recent arguments had contributed to his condition, and grappling with the thought of life without Harley.

After an anxious night of waiting for test results, the doctors confirmed that Harley had not suffered a stroke. Instead, he was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, a neurological disorder causing temporary paralysis or weakness on one side of the face. This diagnosis brought a wave of relief, yet it profoundly impacted Millie's perspective on the adoption. The health scare made her re-evaluate the importance of Harley's legal connection to Ophelia, realizing how much Ophelia loved him as a father figure.

Consequently, a